Correspondence
by RikaCain
Summary: Pick up a book and it's a new world, just waiting for you. Twoshot. Neku/Shiki if you squint?
1. Open

Joshua had no idea why he bought it.

Really, all he had been looking for was another novel to pass his time, having finished Paradise Lost by John Milton, along with Dante's Inferno. They were relatively interesting, but he had nevertheless finished both, and required a new source of entertainment.

He hence found himself in one of Shibuya's bookstores, hidden away in the nook and crannies of one of its alleys; where discounts could be easily obtained with a few choice words. He ignored the musty stack of Japanese novels, having read all before, and proceeded directly to the back of the store. He could probably come across a couple of decent books if he got a little bit... hands on.

"Let's see... Jodi Picoult's a tad too sappy... oh it's Dan Brow- wait, I already read this. Hm, this looks good... Sophie Kinsella? N-no thank you."

Joshua's finger caught on a stray thread as it trailed down the stack of haphazardly arranged books. Tugging it free, he slid the offending book out of line, out of sheer boredom and curiousity. It was a slim paperback, the cover a faded black. The binding was still intact, save for the thread; there was nothing else, no title, no author, no blurb, zilch.

Genuinely curious, Joshua flipped the book open... only to be greeted by blank pages paling brown with age. He blinked, shrugged and slotted the book back into its place.

Ten minutes later Joshua left the store, wondering why he had even bought the notebook in the first place.

* * *

><p>It was a month before Joshua picked the notebook up again.<p>

It was a tiring one at that. He had to run around the whole prefecture, call a number up and found himself knocking out the moment his head hit the pillow. His only solace, it seemed, was when he was alone and immobile.

In which the majority constituted of his sleep.

He picked up a stack of papers, carrying them over to his desk. The notebook, having stuck itself in some way into the pile, toppled out onto the floor and flipped open.

Joshua sighed and grabbed the book.

Then froze when he realised that the book had been written on.

It was nothing much, really, just a whole long list of algebraic sums. Some done incorrectly cancelled out the possibility of Sho writing on his stuff - he did pay for it - as well as Mitsuki. She wouldn't allow for mistakes.

The possibility of anything else that was formulating in Joshua's mind went completely out of the window when the book started spouting out more sums.

Joshua watched, bemused. This trick was too elaborate to be performed anywhere. The writing ceased, leaving a particularly difficult sum unfinished. After a long pause, he clicked open his pen and wrote.

_'2a.'_

There was another wait, this time with bated breath. The book printed out another question, stopping yet again at the answer. It was a slightly harder question, but Joshua did not like to be treated as a calculator.

_'2x + 1. Really, now. I'm not a calculator, you know.'_

**'Oh.'**Slightly messy words scrawled themselves out. **'Sorry. Who are you?'**

"So you're not a calculator either," Joshua mused. "Let's play along for now."

_'My name is,'_ Joshua paused. A pseudonym would be safer for now. A tad paranoid, but better safe than sorry, no?

_'Virgil.'_ From Dante, the guide of Hell.

**'Nice name.'** A hasty reply.

_'Thank you. What's yours?'_

**'Neku. Neku Sakuraba.'**

Joshua frowned. Neku? Neku, Neku, Neku. Nope, didn't ring a bell.

_'Charming. Nice to meet you, Neku.'_

**'Nice to meet you too, Virgil.'**

Joshua tapped his pen against the table, his paperwork all but forgotten. Should he reply...? First course of action should be to gather information.

_'I take that I'm talking to you through a notebook?'_

**'How did you know?'**

_'The sums, Neku.'_ He giggled.

**'Oh. So I'm a notebook to you too?'**

_'Yes.'_ No harm in letting him know.

**'Cool. So you're not Shiki playing a trick on me?'**

_'Apparently so. Who is Shiki?'_

**'My...'** The ink trailed.** 'Friend.'**

_'Girlfriend?'_

**'No.'**

_'That was quick. There's no need to get flustered now.'_

**'I am NOT flustered.'**

_'Whatever you say.'_

Joshua was enjoying himself, work be damned. This Neku character was rather fun to tease...

**'So... do YOU have a girlfriend?'**

_'No. I'm gay.'_

**'Serious?'**

_'No.'_

**'... You're definitely not Shiki, right...?'**

_'I'm not. Is Shiki gay?'_

**'NO!'**

_'Hee hee. Are you sure?'_

**'Just... drop it, Virgil.'**

_'Yessir.'_

Joshua smirked and set his pen down. Things were going to perk up, he could tell. It was a rather unconventional way to make a new friend, and some things were unclear here and there, but at least he won't be bored.

* * *

><p>AN: 'Pen and Paper', 100 themes challenge on DeviantArt.

I was reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when this hit me. It was written and rewritten quite a number of times.

The next chapter is from Neku's perspective.


	2. And flip

Neku had no clue to how it had arrived there.

He had been cleaning out his closet, wincing at the amount of clothes that he had outgrown, when it dropped on his head out of nowhere.

It was a slim paperback, the cover a faded black. The binding was still intact, save for a stray thread; there was nothing else, no markings, no design, no memories, zilch.

Rubbing his head and thanking the Lord that it was not a hardback volume, Neku flipped it open... only to be greeted by blank pages paling brown with age. He blinked and tossed the notebook onto his desk, returning to the pile of clothes that was accumulating on the floor.

Neku still had no clue to how a notebook wound up in his closet.

* * *

><p>"Ugh... I never want to do Maths EVER AGAIN..." Neku grumbled as he shuffled into his room, flinging his bag onto his bed. "Stupid tuition teacher..."<p>

Neku grabbed the closest notebook he could reach for and plonked himself down onto his chair. "Now where's that worksheet..."

He scribbled questions, answers and workings down with a fury, music spilling out from his headphones-

Then he got stumped.

He stared at the offending question half-heartedly, slightly aware that it was the notebook he found a few days ago. Pen poised, brains whirring, eyes drilling a hole through the paper; but still the answer did not surface.

Or at least, the method.

Then, to his bemusement, an elegant '_2a_' printed itself out.

Neku gaped, dumbfounded. Beat? No, wait. Too dumb. Rhyme wouldn't pull such a trick even if she was in the mood. That left Shiki and Eri... even if they were away in Osaka.

And who could forget - his brain. Too much stress, that must be it. Too much work.

But still...

Neku scribbled down another question, now waiting with bated breath. If his brains weren't playing tricks-

_'2x + 1. Really, now. I'm not a calculator, you know.'_

Neku fumbled with his pen. Maybe Shiki and Eri were out of the question... **'Oh.'**What should he say, who? What? Where?

**'Who are you?'**

_'My name is Virgil.'_

Virgil? That was obviously a pseudonym. Either that, or his parents (or creator) was crazy and weird enough to name their kid after a Devil May Cry character.

**'Nice name.'**He scribbled back.

_'Thank you. What's yours?'_

His? Pseudonym or...? No, Shiki might be recording this just for kicks. Don't want to seem paranoid.

**'Neku. Sakuraba Neku.'**

_'Charming. Nice to meet you, Neku.'_

**'Nice to meet you too, Virgil.'**

_'I take that I'm talking to you through a notebook?'_

Neku blinked. Shi-

**'How did you know?'**

_'The sums, Neku.'_

Neku could almost hear the mocking tone of the words. Almost. Time to regain some dignity.

**'So I'm a notebook to you too?'**

_'Yes.'_

Huh. **'Cool. So you're not Shiki playing a trick on me?'**

_'Apparently so. Who's Shiki?'_

**'A...'** Neku's pen trailed. Classmate? Partner? **'Friend.'**

_'Girlfriend?'_

**'No.'**A blush crept up his face.

_'That was quick. There's no need to get flustered now.'_

He was not... ugh. Book. **'I am NOT flustered.'**

_'Whatever you say.'_

What now... Ah. **'So do you have a girlfriend?'**

_'No. I'm gay.'_

Wait, what? **'Serious?'**

_'No.'_

He could almost believe Shiki was laughing at him somewhere along with Eri and Beat. **'You're definitely not Shiki, right...?'**

_'I'm not. Is Shiki gay?'_

How did he come to THAT conclusion? **'NO!'**

_'Hee hee. Are you sure?'_

Neku shuddered. He did NOT want to go down that train of thoughts. **'Just... drop it, Virgil.'**

_'Yessir.'_

Neku sighed. He read through the conversation he just had... and maybe, it wasn't Shiki ater all. Maybe he had acquired a new friend.

Well... at least he had someone to talk- no, write to during class. He hoped.

* * *

><p>AN: And that's that. I hope you enjoyed!

Oh and I used Virgil not because of DMC - okay, fine, maybe a bit - but because of Umineko. Psh.

Thank you.


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